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22 September 2010, New York

In New York on 22 September 2010, in the margins of the MDG Summit, UNDP and the Government of China signed a new agreement to strengthen their long-standing cooperation. The agreement centres on strengthening South-South cooperation, building on China's success in lifting 500 million people out of poverty and advancing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the agreement, UNDP and China will share experience and knowledge in supporting other developing country efforts on, for example, poverty reduction, agriculture, health care and capacity building.

The agreement was witnessed by Helen Clark and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, and signed by Wang Chao, Chinese Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, and Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director for Asia and the Pacific.

Since the agreement was signed, work on South-South cooperation has proceeded apace. The Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference (see below) was one of the first outcomes of the strengthened cooperation. Letters of Intent have also been signed with IPRCC and the Ministry of Science and Technology, and other partnerships and programmes are being developed.

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Memorandum of Understanding for Strengthened Cooperation between the Government of People's Republic of China and the United Nations      Development Programme

17 October 2010, Beijing

On 17 October, 2010, commencement of the annual International Poverty Reduction and Development Forum saw some of the world's leading minds on global policy, development practices, and poverty alleviation research convene in Beijing to discuss poverty reduction strategies and emerging development challenges. Leading speakers at the event included Vice Premier Hui Liangyu of the State Council, China's State Council Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) Director Minister Fan Xiaojian and Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women and Chairperson of the Advisory Group on the UN Social Protection Floor Initiative.

The subject of the 2010 forum, entitled "Transforming Development Patterns and Poverty Reduction," was centered on managing the disparities and balance of development. Stimulating active discussion among the various state leaders, senior officials, academics, grass-roots practitioners and other members of the international community in attendance, it served as a crucial mechanism for broadening the debate on issues such as global climate change, disaster prevention and management, and the social dimensions of poverty reduction programmes.

Each year this prestigious event, which is traditionally held in conjunction with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, attracts participation from all over the world, as a global platform for high-level policy advocacy. Since its inception in 2008, delegations from over 30 countries and development agencies including Tanzania, Senegal, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Peru, Fiji and Vietnam, have participated in the forum and have conducted various forms of exchange activities with government agencies and organizations. Support for this event has also been received through participation from other UN agencies and development partners such as the World Bank, WHO and DFID.

Simultaneously, UNDP China and IPRCC jointly organized an annual training workshop, designed to increase provincial leadership and government capacity building through exposure to international theories and best practices. The workshops contributed to the formulation and implementation of China's poverty reduction and development policies at both the national and sub-national levels.

1-3 November 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In November 2010, in recognition of a resurgence of interest in South-South cooperation, UNDP joined IPRCC and the Government of Ethiopia in co-hosting the Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference. Held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on November 1st-3rd, the conference explored a transformational approach to development and sought to contribute to the acceleration of economic growth, food security, poverty reduction and social coherence in Africa by drawing on lessons from China and other emerging economies in the global South and by mobilizing Africa's substantial agricultural potential.

As a powerful means for learning from the combined economic development experiences of emerging countries, this event was attended by a number of high-profile international dignitaries, including UNDP Administrator, Ms. Helen Clark; Vice Minister of China's State Council Leading Group Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP); Deputy Director-General of the IPRCC, Mr. Zheng Wenkai, and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Mr. Meles Zenawi. In addition, two special addresses were given by Mr. Trevor Manuel, Minister in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, and Mr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank.

Following the outcomes of the conference attended by representatives from 20 African nations, such as Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania and Malawi, UNDP China has continued to strengthen strategic partnerships with traditional development partners, furthering prospects for development cooperation and, in particular, encouraging efforts which accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.

Participating Countries from Africa (20 in total):

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